Atacama Desert

Some 40,600 square miles (105,000 km²) of salt lakes and sand make the Atacama Desert the driest in the world and one of the best reasons to visit Chile.

The desert is located in the north of the country, between the Andes and the coast, and can be reached by air from Santiago, or by land from neighboring Bolivia and Argentina.

Dramatic lunar landscapes that are home to volcanoes, salt flats, geysers and hot springs, together with some of the clearest skies in the world, are just a few examples of this unique place where, in some areas, rain has not fallen for four years.